Warning against shark in Sharm al-Sheikh

Georgette Sadeq

27 Sep 2016 8:49 pm

The Ministry of State for Environmental affairs has issued a warning to divers and ship owners in the Red Sea resort of Sharm al-Sheikh to refrain from directly interacting with sharks if any appears in the sea, and also from making noise or even going into the water if there is any suspicion of a shark in the vicinity.The warning comes in the wake of video footage that went viral on Facebook, of a group of swimmers chasing a shark which had appeared in the midst of a group of swimmers in Ras Nasrani in Sharm al-Sheikh.On its Facebook page, the Ministry’s posted that the shark in the footage was an Oceanic White Tip which is characterised by its brown colour, full body, and very large fins. This shark, the Ministry said, is aggressive and lives in warm waters. It is overfished for its fins which are a much-sought delicacy, and is threatened with extinction. There is a big probability, the Ministry said, that more sharks would appear; hence the warning.The Ministry strictly warned swimmers against interacting in any way with sharks, since it may provoke them to attack.